The Latrobe City Council in south-east Victoria is investigating whether a councillor has breached its code of conduct by using social media to campaign against Islam and immigration.
Councillor Christine Sindt’s Facebook page said it did not necessarily represent the views of council.
At the last council meeting, she voted against a motion to declare the region a ‘Refugee Welcome Zone’.
Mayor Dale Harriman said Cr Sindt had been asked to remove offending Facebook posts.
“If that’s not successful, it moves to mediation,” he said.
“Depending on the outcome of the mediation it could be sent to a panel.”
Cr Harriman said 30 per cent of the Latrobe City’s population was born overseas or had overseas-born parents.
“A lot of the greatness of the Latrobe Valley was built by refugees fleeing war zones and I think it’s vitally important we acknowledge the contributions that are being made by the refugees today can be as monumental as that,” he said.
Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins said the council could request an independent audit of Cr Sindt’s behaviour.
“I would know by community standards it seems there would have been a breach but the council needs to determine that,” she said.
Ms Hutchins said she was aware of the issue and was following it closely.
“Her behaviour was actually raised directly with me by the mayor and the CEO when I visited the council a few weeks back but really it comes back on the mayor and the councillors to determine whether there is a breach of conduct in this situation,” she said.
On her Facebook page, Cr Sindt rejected anti-immigration claims.
“Amazing what you hear on the ABC News, that I had put anti-immigration posts on my Facebook and that I had been asked to remove them. Neither is true,” she said.
On ABC radio last week, she said she viewed radical extremists and the broader Islamic community as “pretty much the same”.
“I have been drawing to the attention of the local community and anybody who wants to have a look on my councillor Facebook page just what’s happening in Australia at the moment,” she said.